Naomi Osaka, Racial Hybridity, and Black Femininity in Tennis

Following Naomi Osaka and Rui Hachimura on Social Media: Silent Activism and Sport Commodification of Multiracial Japanese Athletes

“…Yet, this could be due to a different political climate and each person's individual experience of race, which are not the same even for two elite sportswomen of color (Calow, 2022). Granted, Osaka does have much larger endorsement deals than Williams as heavy racialization has unfortunately impacted the latter's marketability, despite her ranking and stellar on-court achievements (Roberts, 2022)…”

“…Hachimura's intervention is further complicated by having lived and grown up as Blasian in Japan and later beginning a career and adjusting to Black culture in the United States (Roberts, 2022). Yet, his visibility as Black in the United States and hāfu in Japan illustrates his marginalized status in both countries-albeit one who is privileged as an elite athlete-and therefore, his activism can be seen as representing people's oppression on both sides.…”

“…More recently, scholars have discussed how through the lens of misogynoir or “anti-Black misogyny,” Western mainstream media have (mis)represented Osaka as Japanese and invisibilize her Blackness (Razack & Joseph, 2021, p. 291). As compared to Williams, Osaka’s “proximity to whiteness” has important implications on how she was accepted and treated in a traditionally White sport (Roberts, 2022, p. 339), which also affects her marketability and social justice advocacy—something we discuss in the next section.…”

“…For instance, Osaka’s activism led not to public ostracization like in Kaepernick’s case, but enhanced her image and influence in the United States (Calow, 2022). This may be attributed to Osaka’s branding as “an Asian woman first,” which privileges her over Williams and could explain the public’s and sporting world’s different reactions to their advocacy (Roberts, 2022, p. 320). Yet, this could be due to a different political climate and each person’s individual experience of race, which are not the same even for two elite sportswomen of color (Calow, 2022).…”

“…Prior to this, she had mostly avoided direct discussion about racial issues, except to acknowledge her multiracial identity (Ho & Tanaka, 2022). This careful management of Osaka’s image in her early career has perhaps allowed her to get away with activism—a longtime contentious issue for elite athletes, but especially for sportswomen whose voices are often excluded (Cooky & Antunovic, 2020; Roberts, 2022).…”